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Braavos
Braavos is a city nestled in the northwestern corner of Essos, at the where the Narrow Sea gives way to the Shivering Sea. The city itself is spread across at least one hundred smaller islands located within a fog-shrouded lagoon. Amongst the major noble families of Braavos are the families Antaryon, Maris, Nestoris, Otherys, Prestyn, Reyaan, Sollys and Zalyne. Layout The Port * The Purple Harbour – Open only to Braavosi vessels, the Purple Harbour is maintained to a higher standard than the Ragman’s harbour, boasting cobbled streets and a finer selection of taverns and brothels and mummers playhouses such as the Blue Lantern and the Dome. The Sealord’s Palace and the Moon Pool are also located nearby. It is home of the feared Braavosi fleet of purple-hulled warships, giving the harbour its name. * The Ragman’s Harbour – As the Ragman’s Harbour serves ships from across the Known World, it is much busier, noisier and dirtier than the Purple Harbour, and home to sailmenders and ropemakers, bakers and brewers, thieves and beggars. Catering to sailors, porters and traders, a wealth of inns and pillowhouses are located amongst the winding streets and canals that stretch from the harbour. * The Chequy Port - Not really a true harbour, the Chequy Port is located on the island upon which the fortress structure called the Arsenal is constructed. It serves as an inspection point for all merchant ships seeking to gain entrance to the city, and all visiting vessels are expected to make port for examination by the custom officers of the Sealord. Depending on the size of the ship and the scale of the cargo onboard, such investigations make take upwards of half a day to complete. * The Arsenal - Built across the island it shares with the Chequy Port and sprawling onto the rocky border that surrounds the city, the Arsenal is a fortress-citadel of stone battlements laden heavy with scorpions, spitfires and trebuchets. It serves to protect the city proper from any perceived threats. * Sellagoro’s Shield – Forming the southeastern boundary of the lagoon of Braavos, Sellagoro’s Shield is one of the most outlying isles in the chain of islands. Populated by a band of soldier pines and black spruce, the stony, steep slopes of the island support both the left side of the Titan of Braavos and serve as a windbreak to protect the city from the worst of the storms that oft plague the Narrow Sea. The Rich and Powerful of Braavos * The Sealord’s Palace – Located at the eastern end of the Purple Harbour, the Sealord’s Palace is the grandest building in a city of grand constructions. Sprawling across near a dozen islands, connected by carved stone bridges, the mass of domes and towers is the residency of the Sealord, a man chosen by the city’s magisters and keyholders to defend the city through command of the fearsome Braavosi fleet of warships. Contained within are a great number of gardens, a menagerie claimed to boast striped horses from the plains of the Jogos Nhai, bridled lizards from Sothoryos, and a wealth of exotic birds native to the Summer Isles. The Palace is guarded by a host of bravos, whom fall under the command of the First Sword, a position that near every swordsman in the Free City vie to claim for their own. * The Iron Bank – Surrounded by the extravagant Iron Plaza, the Iron Bank is probably for what the city of Braavos is most famed. Archons and Triarchs, Princes and Kings alike have visited the Bank over the years, seeking loans for sake of conquest and consolidation, as well as uncountable minor merchants, traders and sailors. Many have found, to their peril, that the Iron Bank will always have its due however, and absence of repayment have resulted in inexplicable failure of businesses, sudden loss of authority and in some cases, entirely unsupported by any evidence, unexpected accidents resulting in injury and death. * The Towers of the Keyholders – While nearly one thousand residents of the city claim direct decadence from the twenty-three founders of the Iron Bank, less than ten Keyholder families still own towers within the city. Four of these families, the Prestayns, the Reyaans, the Maris and the Antaryons, each hold islands of their own, upon which they have built manses comparable in size to the keeps of many bannerman of Westeros. From the tip of the spires, one can observe the Free City in its entirety. * Palaces of Justice and Truth – The imposing Palace of Justice and towering Palace of Truth can be found south of the Sealord’s Palace, and serve as the site of trials, judgements and punishments for the entirety of Braavos. Trials typically start within the Palace of Truth, where those worthy of such scrutinises are examined by a panel representative of the five pillars of the Free City, namely the Iron Bank and its Keyholders, The Sealord, The Magisters, The Moonsingers and the Merchant Guilds. Once the trial has been performed, the involved parties move to the Palace of Justice, where sentencing and subsequent punishment are performed. As such, the Palace of Justice also houses a small population of prisoners within its walls. * The Black Pearl, The Nightingale, and the Courtesans - It is said that the courtesans of Braavos are some of the most sought-after companions in the world. Unlike the women of Lys’ pleasure gardens or Volantis’ brothels, the courtesans of Braavos are free women, and often revered as much for their wit and bearing as they are for their beauty. The most famous (or infamous) of the courtesans is the Black Pearl. The first Black Pearl was the captain and pirate queen Bellegere Otherys. Her daughter, born to the Prince of Pentos also took the name the Black Pearl, as did Bellenora’s daughter, and her daughter’s daughter. The Black Pearl is always known for her beauty, her dark skin, and for the last few generations, for having a bit of the dragons blood in her veins. The current Black Pearl, Bellemira Otherys is no different. The most attractive of the courtesans is known as The Nightingale, and there is an unwritten rule within Braavosi society that no other woman can be compared favourably to her beauty. This unwritten law is upheld by the city's bravos, who are known for asking the question: "Who is the most beautiful women in the world?", and challenging any who answer incorrectly to a duel. The relationship between the Black Pearl and the Nightingale is always tumultuous, with both women regularly trying to upstage the other, and it is not uncommon for matters to escalate beyond simple slights and social snubs. Living in the City * Sweetwater River – Out of necessity to provide the citizens of the Free City with a water supply beyond the brackish, briny water of the lagoon, the Braavosi constructed the Sweetwater River. An aqueduct built of grey stone and brick, the channel brings water from mainland Essos, depositing the fresh water in a series of public pools from which commoners may fill their buckets. The last of these pools, the Moon Pool, is known as the site of a great number of duels between Bravos wielding slender blades. Entering the city on its south side, the Sweetwater River serves a vital role to the city, and is guarded heavily as such. * The Moon Pool – At the end of the Sweetwater River’s winding route through the city of Braavos, the Moon Pool can be found. A popular location in the northeastern aspect of the city, the Pool is frequented by numerous peddlers and merchants hoping to sell their wares to those enjoying mummer’s shows and the honeyed voices of singers who perform around the waters. It is said that some of the best alehouses, inns and brothels of Braavos are also located nearby. * The Drowned Town – A symptom of the slowly sinking status of the Free City, the Drowned Town is the name given to the portion of Braavos already lost into the murky waters of the lagoon. Under the weight of the Braavosi construction, the islands of the archipelago have begun to sink, and now the majority of the storehouses, inns and brothels located in this part of the City are largely submerged, although some residents still linger, using the upper floors that, as of yet, remain untouched by the waves. * The Canals - Braavos is comprised of a hundred islands linked together by small stone bridges spanning the many canals throughout the city. The houses in the humbler regions are tightly packed together, even over the canals. One of the bigger canals is the Canal of Heroes, located closest to the Titan of Braavos, the Chequy Port, and the Arsenal. Multiple bridges cross the Canal of Heroes, and along both sides are rows of statues of deceased Sealords. The canal leads directly to the center of the city, where the Isle of the Gods is located. The Green Canal leads from the Palace of Truth to the east side of the lagoon, and the Black Canal can be crossed when travelling to the Ragman's Harbour. * The House of Red Hands - Located nearby the Moon Pool, the House of Red Hands serves as a place of healing and hospice for the sick and injured of Braavos. The assessment and treatments are presided over by one known only as the First Healer, an individual, who, as a sign of their dedication to the healing arts, gives up everything to the role, including their identity and past life. The Isle of Gods The Isle of Gods is one of largest islands within the archipelago upon which the city is built. As the limitation of choice of faith is outlawed in Braavos, the Isle is home to hundreds of shrines, large and small, praising gods and deities from across the Known World. * Temple of the Moonsingers – The Moonsingers of the Jogos Nhai are particularly revered by the Braavosi people, as it is said that a Moonsinger’s vision that first led the escaped slaves of Valyria to the fog-hidden lagoon in which the Free City is built. The largest temple in the city, the great dome of snow-white marble and silvered stone displays every phase of the moon. At each of the four gates permitting entrance, two marble maidens join hands, forming a crescent with their arms. * The Temple of the Lord of Light – Though not as large as the temple dedicated to Red God in the City of Volantis, the Temple of R’hllor in Braavos is still large enough to comfortably enclose a mighty square tower built from red stone, a great iron brazier over twenty feet across at its crest. Along with the smaller braziers that flank each entrance and exit from the Temple, the fires within burn every hour of the day. * The House of Black and White – Situated upon the Isle of Gods, the House of Black and White is a largely featureless building built on a rocky knoll of dark grey stone. At the top of a set of stairs cut directly into the rock, two looming doors can be found, one milk-white hewn from weirwood, the other jet-black, carved from ebony. Inside, statues of nearly thirty gods may be found, all arranged around a central pool of still water. * The Sept-Beyond-the-Sea - on the Isle of the Gods, the Sept-Beyond-the-Sea and her septas and septons offer worship to the Seven for Westerosi sailors visiting the city, and more recently for Andal refugees. Despite its recent growth in popularity, most Westerosi visitors to the city come from the North, and as such seek out weirwoods over that of the vigils of the Seven. Timeline of Events * 111BA - The War of the Wolf Fish begins between Braavos and Lorath. The conflict is so named for the fishing dispute that started the fighting. Lorathi raiders land upon the Braavosioan Coastlands, but vanish before those loyal to the Sealord can respond. * 110BA - The Sealord send a fleet of fifty warships to occupy Lorath Bay, simultaneously restricting raiding of the Braavosioan Coastlands and Hills and limiting Lorathi fishing grounds. The Lorathi break within three moons, agreeing to new laws and legislations of piscary. * 109BA - The War of the Wolf Fish comes to an official end in the first moon of 109BA, when legislation is formally signed at a manse within the Braavosian foothills. * 105BA - After the death of Imebaro Lornel, remembered as the hero of the War of the Wolf Fish, Noho Dothare is chosen as the next Sealord. He served for a decade and a half before his death. * 89BA - Innor Marolis becomes Sealord. His election is initially controversial until slanderous claims about his past are proven to be naught but rumours and lies spread by his opposition. * 79BA - Brachesso Orloris, a wealthy merchant within the city of Braavos is chosen as the replacement for the Sealord Innor Marolis upon his death of a chill. A capable tradesman, Braavos does well under Orloris' guidance, who orders the Arsenal turn their attention to building primarily cogs in place of warships to further stimulate commerce. * 55BA - Pynto Ennel serves as Sealord for three years. Despite his average height, he is remembered as Pynto "the Short" due to the duration of his rule. * 52BA - Mero Lerastas, later remembered as the Hammer of Ibben, is chosen as Sealord. His moniker was earned by his actions in defeating the Ibbenese during the Second War of the Axe between Lorath, Norvos and the Ibbenese. * 37BA - The city of Braavos, in exchange for drastically reduced tariffs and taxation on products exported to Great Norvos, lends use of fifty Braavosi warships to the Fisher Prince Vago Hestir. Built by the famed shipwrights of the Arsenal, the coverted whaler ships of the Ibbenese prove little match for the new found strength commanded by their Norvoshi foes, and the fleet of Ib is shattered as it shelters from a storm in the Bay of Whales. Cut off, Ibbenese colonies on the mainland, including the Axe begin to struggle, before ultimately failing. * 35BA - After the death of Mero Lerastas, the position of Sealord is given to Sallys Sollys, the heir of the famed Keyholder Hallos Sollys. The appointment tore the Sollys family apart for three generations, for Hallos himself also ran for the position, but was undercut by his first born son. * 24BA - Syrio Brachys is elected as Sealord, and promises to take a firm stance against the growing power of Volantis in the south. It is not until 20BAA that his position puts the city of Braavos in direct conflict with the First Daughter, when he orders a hundred warships be sent south to assist Lys in their attempts of liberation. * 20BA - The Titan's wrath is finally provoked, and the Sealord of Braavos, Syrio Brachys, orders a hundred ships be sent to Lys to assist in the liberation efforts. * 17BA - Representatives from the Ilhaili and Ouri families of Sarys travel to Braavos to ask the Sealord Syrio Brachys for aid against the Ibbenese following the destruction of their main fleets at Sarys and the Battle of the Bay of Tusks. He offers assistance, but only in exchange for Sarnori help in the subjugation of Volantene forces within the Disputed Lands. Knowing their armies to be too weak to be stretched across western Essos, the Tagaez Fen decline. * 6BA - Luco Tendyris becomes Sealord. He is remembered as an avid sailor, and insisted on helming his own vessel whenever he made trips aboard the flagship afforded to him by his position of command. Such actions would eventually lead to his demise in 12AA, when the ship was ravaged by a storm in the Shivering Sea. * 12AA - When Luco Tendyris, the current Sealord, goes missing in a storm, the people of Braavos elect another in his place. When news reaches the new Sealord Harano Essiris that the wreck of Tendyris' flagship has been discovered, he commands his First Sword Gyllo to investigate the vessel, and ensure that no survivors remain. * 23AA - Vargo Dimittis, a representative of the Iron Bank, is chosen as Sealord and begins to serve what is remembered as the longest rule as Sealord in the last half millennium. Upon his death at the age of nine-and-eighty, he had served as Sealord for nearly four and a half decades. * 65AA - Following the ongoing conflicts to the eastern lands of the Axe, the Braavosi decide upon the famed military general Aro Antaryon as the next Sealord. His firm stance towards the Lorathi, Norvoshi, Ibbenese and Sarnori is heralded as the reason for the decades of peace in Braavos during his rule. * 86AA - Ulloro Zalyne becomes Sealord after the passing of Aro Antaryon. Reminding the city of the importance of his ancestor Uthero Zalyne, the Sealord responsible for the disclosure of the existance of Braavos to the Known World, he extends the length of the annual Festival of the Uncloaking from five days to ten, a change that has persisted ever since. * 104AA - Adaryrio Ostaris is chosen to serve as Sealord. Lax in his stance but generous with those earning of his affection, he is well loved by the Keyholders, who grow rich at his expense, but hated by the smallfolk of the city, who suffer under his haphazard rule. * 113AA - Following the Triarchy's victory in the Stepstones, the city of Pentos grows fearful that their attention may soon turn to further expansion of their territories to the north and east. Seeking assistance from the Sealord of Braavos, Adaryrio Ostaris, but they find no assistance from the notoriously lax and lazy man. * 124AA - Following the fall of Anlos in 121AA, the Pentoshi Flatlands are plagued by fighting and war. Moons pass without conflict, a seemed cessation of the aggression, before erupting once more in spectacular fashion. Pentos once again looks to assistance from Braavos, but the Sealord Adaryrio Ostaris is slow to respond, if truly at all. * 128AA - Adros Eranin served as Sealord for only six years before being accidentally slain in a spar with the First Sword at the time, Haratho. * 129AA - As the Siege of Pentos extends into its third year, Pentos once again pleas for assistance from Braavos. Where the last Sealord was lax, Adros Eranin is instead motivated to guard against the threat the Triarchy pose, and thus pledges Braavosi support against them. An army of sellswords meets with the men of the Triarchy outside the walls of Pentos, forcing them into retreat towards Long Lake. Preparations are made for the Braavosi fleet to sail south, and smash the Triarchy's own navy, but the latter are caught at the Battle of the Gullet two moons later. * 131AA - In the aftermath of the Battle of the Gullet, the last of the Triarchy's fleet, now commanderless after the death of Sharako Lohar of Lys at the hands of King Aethen I Celtigar is caught offguard by a Braavosi navy. Those few ships that survived the Battle of the Gullet are quickly broken by the Sealord's vessels, and are scattered across the Narrow Sea. * 134AA - Remembered as the Provider, Syren Maris becomes Sealord. Through expansion of Braavosi fishing territories and agricultural land in the Braavosian Coastlands, Braavos flourished under his guidance before his eventual death in 148AA. * 148AA - Vogos Rennyl becomes Sealord. In 158AA, he offers aid to the Norvoshi in their conflict against the Ibbenese during the Seventh War of the Axe, a decision that results in his death at the Battle of Ash Bay. After his demise, he is replaced by Illio Sollys. * 158AA - Less than a year and a half after the resolution of the last conflict between Ibben and Norvos, conflict once again sparks across the Axe when Ibbenese warships start attacking fishing vessels utilising the rich waters around the peninsula. For four moons, all ships not marked with Ibbenese symbols are sunk, before intervention not by the Norvoshi, but the Braavosi. The Sealord Martio Antaryon, leading a series of naval battles over the course of 158AA. Undeniably the most notable amongst them occurred in the tenth moon of the year, a short but brutal clash remembered as the Battle of Ash Bay. Amongst those slain were the First Sword and the Sealord himself, when a Ibbenese whaler collided with the Braavosi flagship upon which they resided. * 159AA - After the demise of Vogos Rennyl at the Battle of Ash Bay, Illio Sollys is chosen as the next Sealord. He is remembered as a jovial and well-humoured man who greatly enjoyed the frequent festivities he held in Braavos, particularly that of the Festival of the Mummer which he invented in 173AA. He was assassinated in 179AA by conspirators within the city. * 173AA - The Sealord creates the Festival of the Mummer, a celebration of theatre, food and merriment within the city of Braavos. It has run biannually every since. * 179AA - The Sealord Illio Sollys is assassinated upon his pleasure barge in the Lagoon of Braavos. Whilst it was initially thought to be a tragic accident when the vessel sunk, the Sealord's body was later retrieved and found to be pock-marked with stab wounds, as well as missing a foot and three fingers. It would take nearly four years for his supposed killers to be brought to justice, although many believe that it was in fact the Reyaan family behind the assassination, for it was Nalos Reyaan that was chosen as Illio's successor. * 183AA - Nalos Reyaan is chosen as Sealord four years after the assassination of Illio Sollys, the appointment taking place mere days after the execution of the parties determined to be guilty for the murder. A shrewd and paranoid man, whispers and rumours persisted through Nalos' time as the Sealord that it was in fact the Reyaans behind the assassination in an effort to better themselves compared to their peers. * 197AA - Belorno Maris becomes Sealord after the death of his predecessor. He is remembered as the Uniter, for it was through his actions that the Alliance of the Narrow Sea started to be, starting with the conquest of Pentos. * 200AA - The Six Wars Against Subjugation are fought between Pentos and Braavos, the latter seeking the abolishment of slavery in its neighbouring Free City. In Pentos, each of the six battles is remembered by the names of the Princes ruling at the time, although few survived longer than a few months before being executed. Maros' Battle started when a pair of Braavosi warships seized a Pentoshi slave galley convoy bound south from Beyond-The-Wall, liberating nearly four hundred wildlings bound for a life in servitude. A Pentoshi fleet of fifteen warships responded by pillaging Braavosi trading routes, before a clash between military navies finally occurred off the coastline of Andalos. After their defeat, Maros Vynys was executed, and his successor Gyllan Orlyrion chosen. Gyllan was executed after the destruction of a number of Pentoshi outposts to the north of the city, in a series of raids remembered as Gyllan's Lamentation. * 201AA - Syreo's Pride and Syreo's Fall occurred in the second and third moons of 201AA respectively. A Pentoshi army repels a Braavosi invasion force in the Velvet Hills north of the ruined city of Ghoyan Drohe, but leaves the city largely undefended from a sellsword army that shatters defences around the Bay of Pentos. Such actions faciltate the direct attack on first the city's navy by the Sealord's fleet, known as the Failing of Aeros, and then the city itself, remembered as Innidos' Siege, for Prince Innidos Brenyl, who ordered the gates be opened to the attackers, and the surrender of the city. For such actions in minimising the bloodshed, the Prince has been long celebrated in Braavos and Pentos alike, particularly in recent decades as Pentos has begun to flourish like never before. * 210AA - Irrodos Larios starts his term as Sealord of Braavos. Loving exploration and discovery above all else, Irrodos encourages Braavosi vessels to sail further than ever before, seeking lands unseen, and trade routes yet unthought of. This desire for exploration would eventually prove his downfall, following his contraction of wormbone upon a visit to Sothoryos. * 218AA - The Braavosi attempt to set up a trading colony of Scarwood, in the Stepstones, much to the irritation of the Tyroshi and Lyseni. The Archon at the time, Vyrio Lashare hires the Wolves on the Wind to attack the colonists, then denies Tyroshi involvement upon the rage of the Sealord. The Braavosi abandon their efforts in the Stepstones. * 233AA - The Sealord visits Sothoryos, continuing his mission of exploration. Whilst upon the continent, he contracts wormbone, an affliction that would ultimately result in complications causing his death half a decade later. * 235AA - Braavosian explorers discover a new isle to the north of the Free City, deep into the Shivering Sea. Seeking to set up a new colony in the frigid waters rich in fish, whales and walruses, they send for assistance from the Sealord, but fail to locate the isle when they seek to return to it. The fate of those left to colonise the isle remains unknown to this day. * 237AA - Lyzaro Ahren is chosen as the next Sealord following the worsening health of Irrodos Larios finally takes his toll, and claims the old man in his sleep. Lyzaro himself only serves as Sealord for nine years before his own demise, when he chokes on his food at the Festival of the Uncloaking. * 246AA - After the untimely death of Lyzaro Ahren, Jarilos Prestayn is elected the next Sealord. Jarilos would prove to be ambitious and bold, and remembered as the Sealord who truly forged the Alliance of the Narrow Sea through the inclusion of Myr, Lorath and Norvos into the pact. * 254AA - In the final moon of 254, the Blockade of Lorath begins. The Sealord, an eager and ambitious man seeking to fundamentally prove that slavery is not a necessity for the Free Cities to flourish sends an offer to the Lorathi Princes and Magisters to join an unified alliance of cities dedicated to furthering their beliefs. Upon Lorathi refusal, a Braavosi fleet sails east, beginning a sixteen moon long blockade of the city. * 255AA - The Blockade of Lorath continues through the year of 255AA, with food supplies growing dwindlingly small. The city is sustained somewhat by the seafood attainable from the shoreline, away from the blockading Braavosi ships, but any fishing vessel attempting to travel into deeper waters is quickly dispatched by the purple-hulled warships. * 256AA - The Magisters submit to the will of the Sealord, agreeing to sign the Pact laid before them in order to end the Braavosi blockade. Meanwhile, dignitaries are sent east to the Sarnori and Ibbenese, and scheming to relinquish Braavosi influence begins shortly after the blockade is dissolved. * 258AA - A Lorathi messenger convoy arrives at the Arsenal, bringing news of a potential rebellion brewing to the east. The Lorathi Magister Nyessano Eranyr had long been an opponent of the increase of Braavosi influence in the city, and the joining of the Alliance of the Narrow Sea. After he left the city in a rage, the remaining Conclave grows fearful that he may plan a coup, or a strike against Braavos itself, and thus seek protection from the Sealord and his mighty fleet. The Battle of Lorassyon Wake occurs when the Lorathi-Sarnori-Ibbenese fleet supporting Magister Nyessano Eranyr clashes with the Lorathi-Braavosi fleet supporting the Alliance of the Narrow Sea. With much of the Sealord's fleet elsewhere, dealing with Ibbenese raiders ravaging the Braavosian Coastlands, the strength of the Sarnori navy proves victorious, however Eranyr's own vessel is amongst those sunk. Knowing that it was only through Nyessano that they could prosper, Admiral Tugor Ahasoi orders the fleet return to Saath, and thus Alliance influence over Lorath is maintained. * 260AA - Ibbenese raiders continue to attack the Braavosian Coastlands and the shorelines of the Lorath Bay in spite of the demise of the Magister Nyessano Eranyr, who originally encouraged such actions. They remain a plague to the Sealord for the next decade. * 263AA - Braavosi vessels bound for the Lorathi fishing colony of Morosh are set-upon by Ibbenese reavers based out of the many caves and coves along the shoreline of Lorath Bay. The Sealord's navy sends a flotilla in response, although the infamous raider Agora Jogat and her followers are not located for another three moons. They finally meet their demise at the Battle of the Bitterweed near the end of 263AA. * 270AA - The last of the Ibbenese raiders let loose upon the Braavosian Coastlands and shorelines of Lorath Bay by Magister Nyessano Eranyr is slain at the Battle of Ebon Cliff, where Vyran Antaryon struck down the Reaver-Lord Jagg Vargo in single-combat upon the pebbled beach near the eponymous cliffs. * 271AA - The Five Year War for Myr begins, starting with the Siege of Anlos. After two moons, the city surrenders, and is occupied by a Pentoshi-Braavosi army. All the while, however, the Myrish have been preparing for the inevitable march south by the Sealord's army. * 272AA - The Ambush of Long Lake occurs when a Myrish army marches north, catching the joint Pentoshi-Braavosi invasion force by surprise as they departed the newly conquered city of Anlos. Shattering the Sealord's host within a league of the city that he had conquered a few moons prior, the Myrish sent the Alliance army fleeing north back into Pentoshi territory, before rallying the residents of Anlos to rise up against their subjugators. The gates were thrown open within a week of the Myrish siege, and its residents liberated. * 273AA - It was a year later by the time that the forces of the Alliance of the Narrow Sea grew bold enough to approach Myrish lands once more. Returning with a much larger army, the Sealord deftly defeated the Myrish force left to defend the city, before shattering its defences and recapturing the city. Key figureheads known to have played a part in the returning of the city to Myrish control in 272AA were put to the sword, and Anlos was subjugated once more. Without delay, the Sealord's force marched south down the Trader's Road towards Myr itself. As before, they found themselves met by a Myrish force of near twenty thousand men, their army bolstered by that of several sellsword companies. The battle is remembered as the Myrmen's Lament for the scale of the Braavosi victory. Sent fleeing southeast, the Myrish army was routed, and Myr left free for Braavosi-Pentoshi assault. * 274AA - The Siege of Myr continues into its second year, hampered by raids from sellsword companies sent by the Myrish general to harrying the Sealord's armies. Rumours begin to circulate that what remains of the Myrish army after the Myrmen's Lament has fortified upon the shores of the Violet Lake, gathering their strength for a counterattack. * 275AA - After continued raids and sabotage attempts upon their siege weaponry, a Pentoshi-Braavosi force is sent to investigate the rumoured presence of the Myrish General Tyros Drahar to the southeast. Finding themselves suddenly surrounded by a much larger force, Tyros and his men make a valiant final stand at the edge of the Violet Lake, but are ultimately defeated. However, in the meantime, a number of sellsail companies transport a Volantene army into the Sea of Myrth, where they deliver a scathing strike against those men left to continue the siege. The Sealord returns to Myr, finding it defended by a revitalised force, and seemingly commanded by Tyros Drahar, back from the dead. Ordering a retreat, the joint Braavosi-Pentoshi force returns north to Anlos, and Myr celebrates its deliverance from the Sealord's grasp. * 278AA - Shortly after the fall of Myr to Braavosi control, emissaries from the city of Great Norvos are sent to Braavos, seeking an agreement of non-aggression and ongoing trade deals. The Norvoshi join the Alliance of the Narrow Sea peacefully upon the signing of a series of documents referred to as the Pact in the eighth moon of 278AA, and have enjoyed membership ever since. * 282AA - When the Sealord Jarilos Prestayn dies after serving in the position for nearly forty years, there is great concern that the flourishing Alliance of the Narrow Sea may crumble in his wake. The lack of widespread troubles for his successor have proved otherwise. * 297AA - The Festival of the Uncloaking of 297AA is remembered most so with respect to a bravo called Ballio, granted the moniker of Ballio the Bold (although just as commonly referred to as Ballio the Brash). Interrupting the revelries at the Sealord's Palace to declare loudly he would duel any and all that would stand in the way of claiming the hand of the Sealord's daughter in marriage, he agreed to combat with the First Sword, at the suggestion of the Sealord himself. Sparring upon the Moon Pool as the festivities drew to a close, Ballio proved successful in defeating the First Sword, but was greviously wounded in the process. As he succumbed to his wounds, Ballio was granted the Sealord's blessing to marry his daughter, but alas Ballio the Bold had naught the chance to proclaim his love to his proposed. * 298AA - May the Sealord continue to serve with wisdom and strength! For the past half century, many of the Free Cities of the Narrow Sea have existed as part of a great coalition, pledged together in both trade and war. But it is the Sealord that claims dominion over the Alliance of the Narrow Sea, acting as the guiding hand in all matters, an arrangement that despite bringing seemed prosperity, has proven troublesome over the years. It was with conquest, not words that the cities of Pentos, Lorath and Myr were brought into the fold, and as Magisters and Princes alike continue to discuss the futures of their cities, it is with curiosity that the world watches. Will their will match with that of the mighty Sealord, or will war ride upon the waves in purple-hulled galleys? Category:Braavos Category:Essos Category:City Category:Free Cities Category:Island